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FIRE ON THE MARIPOSA

♦ (PBR PRKSS ASSOCIATION.) Auckland, April 24 Ths fire waa discovered at 630 on Tnfadsy morning when the vessel waa 220 miles oat from the New Zealand ooaet. Dense volumes of smoke wero Issuing from the mail room aod forehold of tbe ship, and when the hatohes of the 'alter part were lifted thick smoke burst { oa*., and It was Been that the seat of fire was In a large otrgo of fl tx stowed In the lower hold. The engines were stopped and streams of water direoted down the baton. About 30 bales of flax were got oat, all hands belonging to the ship and also the captain and orew of the wreoked vjssel Bed Grose, who were on board, working splendidly. Tbe smoke and heat experienced became so severe that one man. a German sailor, was carried on I deck Insensible, and it took two hoars onrslng to bring him round. Threa other men also were almost suffioated, whilst many of the officers suffered fiom the eflWs of the smoke. As the fire ooold not be> extinguished by the means already adopted, tbe hatobei were again battened down and steam tnrned Into the hold, holes having been out In the deck. By 3 o'olook the fire was under, and by midnight yesterday all danger had ceased, Between 7 and 8 o'olook yesterday morning the vessel's head was turned, Oapt Hay wood having deolded to return to Auckland. Daring the whole of tbe time the passengers behaved with admirable coolness. The fire most have begun within a very few hours after the ship left the wharf and If It had gained muoh more bend way before It was discovered the great majority of the people on board mast have perished, The women and ohlldren aloue would have filled tbe boats and theae would have had little hope of reaching land against tha southerly wlud and heavy sea that was tunning. The flax on board comprised 580 bales. When the Marlposa was berthed at the Queen street wharf the malls were discharged aod spread out on tbe wharf, It was foanu that the New Zealand mall was quite uninjured and dry as when shipped I that from Sydney Ino'uded two bags saturated with water bat which were fortunately empty. Experts set to work at once to find out the condition of the ship's oargo Qapt. Worop and Clayton, the former Marine Snrveyor for the Under; writers Association, examined the veuel and found there wai no lojavy beyond n slight charting of the deck where boles had been out. The bold where the fire broke oat |ls of Iron. They found that the outside of the bales had been oharred whilst the lailde was anlojaied. this going to show that tha fire had not originated from spontaneous oonbastlon. Some of the ihr was stowed In the other hold where It was not touched, by either fire or water and it waa remarked by many persona that some bales were not as dry as they should ha7e been before being shipped. The flax bad been stored In tbe sheds on tbe Auckland wharf over three weeks. The whole of the flax having been discharged tbe Mariposa left again to-night for 'Frisco. As the vessel moved off a band oo the wharf played several airs and the captain and orew were loudly oheered. Auckland, April 25. Competent authorities ridloale the Idea that spontaneous combustion could have oooarred amongst the flax on the Marlposa In suoh a short time after belcg shipped.

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